Tina from The Making of a Modern Mommy sent out an email with the following link from gCaptain to remind us all of water safety, especially as we enter the summer months (in my hemisphere and latitude, at least). This is chilling to read, but do so anyway and help save a life this summer!

"Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life."

Children (and adults) who are drowning do not exhibit the TV-acculturated signs of distress we tend to look for, such as screaming and thrashing and waving their arms.

Here's what a (real) drowning child (person) looks and sounds like:

Quiet. Drowning children cannot talk or yell for help, because they are too busy trying desperately to breathe. Talking and screaming are out of the question. If you're in doubt if someone's drowning, ask. If he can answer, he might still be in distress, but he is not yet drowning. If the child doesn't answer, assume the worst and help!

Immobile. Drowning children do not have strength to swim toward help or wave their arms to get attention. They bob quietly up and down vertically as they struggle to keep their head above water. They use their arms instinctually to push them upwards. The body is very low in the water, with just part of the head showing.

From the article:

"Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck."

As a last resort, swim to the child. It is very dangerous to attempt to rescue a drowning victim in the water and could result in your own injury or death. Try to bring an assisting device with you if at all possible, such as a life buoy or float to place between you and the child. If you must swim the child back to shore or the side of the pool, approach from behind and slide one or both your arms under her armpit(s) from the back. With both of you more or less on your backs, kick or sidestroke toward shore. Continue speaking in a calm voice to reassure and calm the child. If you have a flotation device, have it against your chest between you and the victim. If the child is clutching frantically at you and inadvertently bringing you under water, swim downwards until she instinctively lets you go, and then try again or seek additional help.

Even near-drowning and secondary drowning can be severely costly in terms of brain damage and other injuries, so follow these safety tips when your children are in or near water:

Never leave children unattended near or in water. This includes the bathtub. Don't slip away for "just a minute." Remember that babies and children who drown will not yell out or splash the water to alert you to their distress. They will sink quietly under the water, and you will never know if you're not there to help immediately.

Do not rely on water safety devices. Your children can use and enjoy water wings, bath seats, pool floats, and lifejackets — but they are no substitute for adult supervision at all times. Children can and have drowned while wearing or using these devices.

Do not rely on swim classes. Children can start learning to swim from infancy, but even strong swimmers (even strong adult swimmers) can succumb to fatigue or water obstacles and drown. Have a trusted adult close at hand, no matter how good a swimmer your child is, and encourage older children to use the buddy system and keep an eye on each other.

Fences around pools and hot tubs should be at least 5 feet high and have a self-latching mechanism.

Hot tubs need to have appropriate drain covers and vacuum releases to prevent entrapment. Children's hair or suits can get trapped in the drain, and the suction is too powerful for children (and even some adults) to fight.

Consider attaching alarms to pool gates, or even exterior doors leading to the yard. There have been children who have gone outside to inspect the pool while their parents were sleeping.

Be cautious around outdoor sources of water. Cover and lock up wells on your property. Be aware of drainage ditches and holes that fill with water after a rain, and supervise children around them. Stay within arm's reach at a public swimming pool, wading pool, or in the ocean. Know your own limitations as a swimmer, and do not let yourself get fatigued in open water while caring for a child or infant. Never take children (or yourself) swimming in dangerous conditions, such as choppy seas, strong winds, or lightning storms.

Do not keep standing water accessible to children in the home. Drain bathtubs immediately following a bath. Keep cloth diapers in a dry pail rather than a wet one. Close toilet lids, and use a lock if toddlers are curious. Empty buckets and other containers immediately after using.

Do not let children ingest water while swimming or bathing. There's a rare and sometimes fatal condition called "secondary drowning" where the lungs are damaged by filling with water, even though there was no acute immediate drowning. This is particularly critical in saltwater. Look for signs of lethargy and coughing or other breathing problems after a swim.

Learn infant and child CPR. To be prepared for the worst-case scenario, take a class at the Red Cross, and brush up your skills at least yearly.

Teach children about water safety. Talk to your kids about the risks of drowning, and don't let older children supervise younger siblings in the water without being close at hand yourself. Children are easily distracted and not necessarily strong swimmers themselves and should not be entrusted with the care of an infant or young child in a dangerous situation. Start talking even at toddler age about how to dial 911 (or whatever number is applicable in your area) in an emergency, and let children know that the first thing to do if they suspect someone else is drowning is to seek adult help.

All right, I'm scared just writing this post. Please keep track of your children around water outdoors and indoors year-round. There's a lot of fun to be had playing in wading pools and swim parks in the summer, so just keep it safe!

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comments:

We're going to a 4th of July celebration next weekend that will be near water. I have a two and one year old, and the last time we visited the location of this party, I had to work very hard to make sure I knew where my kiddos were at all times. This time, I'm going to have the one year old on my back and the two year old wearing a life jacket. These are good reminders for this time of year...

I was a lifeguard for many years at a lake and I cannot tell you how many toddlers I had to pick up out of the water (we would have one guard in the chair and one at the lakefront). Many times the parents were there next to the child (who was face down in the water) and just not paging attention. Be careful too with life preservers and other flotation devices as the device doesn't know if your child is floating face up or face down! This is a good and important PSA - thank you for it!!

Our backyard backs onto a slough. We also have a pond in the backyard. Many times my husband has said he wants to fill in the pond, but I've told him I don't see the point when there's still a big slough right there too! Water safety is something we are concerned about all the time. We never let the kids out in the backyard by themselves and although we've blocked off the slough and pond as best we can, there's still no guarantee. This just means that we have dedicated ourselves to always being right with our kids in the back for a few more years yet.

Of course we are as vigilant around pools and other water sources too. Every year I hear of a child drowning and it makes my heart so sad.

There was a local boy who died of secondary drowning a few years ago, before of that I never had heard of it at all. Terrifying!

My husband has a close friend who left her baby girl in the tub with her three year old brother to "watch" her... yeah. Fortunately the mom knew CPR and was able to resuscitate her while paramedics arrived, but... my god I cannot even imagine being in that situation and want to do EVERYTHING in my power to make sure I never am.

I watch my child around water just as I would if he were walking along a road. My parents have a pond in their backyard and it's the main reason I don't let him play out there without close supervision. I'm much less worried about him getting lost in the trees or going out into the front yard. It's that pond that scares me. According to this information, rightly so.

It's so easy not to realize that once a kid slips under water, they're completely silent and invisible, unless you're right there. I've seen my daughter slip and fall under water in a pool where she could just stand up... and she panicked and didn't stand up. It happens SO fast. This is a really important reminder.

I quoted these statistics to a mother on a forum once that said she let her 2 year old bathe alone!

It is just a shame and a sad statement on what parenthood means so some people that even with all these stats (and the fact that it is IMO common sense) every year I hear about so many kids that have drowned by simply not being their to watch them.

Thanks for having this post, maybe someone will read it and think twice about doing something that leads to endangering their child.

I just had to comment that directly after reading and commenting on your post I went to yahoo and read this horribly tragic story here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Randall-Cunningham-s-young-son-dies-in-tragic-ac?urn=nfl,252593

great post! Thank you so much. I, too, assumed I would hear a child gasp, splash or scream for help. I usually read or do chores closeby when they bathe looking at them every few minutes. Now I will fill the tub only a few inches. So scary.

As a former lifeguard and now a mom of two small children and owner of a waterfront home, I can not emphasize how important this is.

My history as a lifeguard and the fact that we live next to the water means that we are very knowledgeable and vigilant when it comes to water safety. I include my husband, myself and my children in that "we". We all have a huge amount of respect for water.

I think a lot of the accidents probably occur in situations where children and/or adults are not used to being around water and therefore haven't taken the proper precautions and don't have the requisite knowledge. Reminders like this are extremely helpful.

Thank you, everyone! This is such a scary thing to even think about, but it needs to be talked about. I know I had thought drowning victims made more noise and I know it's common for people to think they'll hear if their toddler's having a problem in the bath next door. I was 9 when my little brother was born, and my mom sometimes left me to watch him in the tub (when I was 10, 11, 12), making me promise promise promise not to stop watching him for a minute. I, of course, thought she was overreacting (another good reason not to trust your kids — even older, obedient ones — to guard the littles around water!). Now I know better.

I've heard of two more drowning deaths of little kids in bathtubs just since posting this — Sarah @ FFP's and one other. :( It's so tragic.

Andrea!!!: That's really scary that you often had to rescue drowning toddlers. Ack! And I had heard that about life preservers — that in some cases they can actually keep a child from flipping over when needed. Yikes.

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Riding the rails with my husband, Crackerdog Sam, and our hobo kids, Mikko Lint Picker (born June 2007), Alrik Irontrousers (born May 2011), and Karsten (born October 2014). Trying every day to parent intentionally and with grace.